Live Well tips

Getaway!

Have you seen Pousada Do Porto (the Porto Hostel)? It’s a good reason to head to the north! Pousada doAsh - Ash Palace Hotel - is among the local "must-visit" locations selected by the magazine Taschen, the American newspaper New York Times, European roadmap for integrating travel, and The New York Times: 36 Hours, 125 Weekends in Europe. The hostel is located near the Freixo Palace, a beautiful example of Baroque Portuguese civil rated National Monument since 1910. Inaugurated in October 2009 was the first Pousada de Portugal in Invicta city. What a good getaway!

Live well with less technology ...

A study conducted at the University of Alberta (Canada) says that children with electronic devices in their bedrooms are more likely to be obese. Researchers establish a cause-and-effect relationship between these devices and a decrease in hours of sleep, adding that only one extra hour of sleep would reduce the odds of these children becoming obese be 30%. Paul Veugelers, an author of the study, leaves this advice with all parents: "If you want your children to sleep better and have a healthy lifestyle, get the technology out of their rooms."

Frankenstein may help us lose weight

It seems hard to believe, but the truth is that seeing a horror movie can help you lose weight. A group of researchers at the University Westminster (UK) wanted to understand if it is possible to burn calories while watching a scary film. In their study, these researchers monitored 10 people while they viewed a selection of classic horror films, and ultimately found that on average, these persons burned three times more calories than they would in front of a blank screen. Richard Mackenzie, an expert on metabolism, explained that this phenomenon is due to "the release of fast action adrenaline produced during short bursts of stress, or in this case, fear, which reduces appetite and increases metabolic rate.”

The cheapest insurance of health is ...

... a multivitamin. So says Professor Balz Frei, the Linus Pauling Institute. According to specialist, the daily consumption of a multivitamin is enough to lower the risk of cancer by 8%. This statement comes in the wake of a large published study on the positive effects of multivitamin supplementation on health. The investigators alert, however, that this is only supplement and not a substitute for a good diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Prevent Early

A Portuguese study found that children and obese adolescents are more likely continue to be so into adulthood than their thinner counterparts. The research that was presented to congress was based on the observance of over 500 boys, and ultimately found that this risk increases with age: a third of children under 6 and a half years old kept the weight on between 6 and 11years of age. Even more worrying was the data on adolescents, with the percentage of those keeping the weight on rising to 80%. Experts say that the solution is prevention, which should begin very early in life: during pregnancy and then the first years of a baby's life.

Praise, praise, praise!

Try praising your employees and colleagues! According to a study by the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, praise is the social reward that promotes better performance by those who feel their efforts are recognized. All research indicates that positive words produce a strong impact in the brain which leads to the production of the highest-quality work. "Congratulations," and "Keep up the good work,” are just a few examples to try implementing. No harm in trying!